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The 10 Best Music Festivals in Michigan You Can’t Miss

by
Eric TerBush
March 13, 2020 • 1 min read

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Let’s say you’re on a summer vacation in Michigan and you’ve got a week to kill. A friend suggests a local music festival. Why not? Music is high art—and everybody loves festival photos—so spending a day or two out in the woods is a sure thing.

If you aren’t nature-inclined, the heart of Detroit is more than happy to accommodate you. The Motor City hosts hundreds of music festivals and it seems to be going strong. The best festivals though are the regional events, drawing people from near and far to showcase various artists, bands and live shows. Whether your jam is country, rap, techno, or all three, there is a festival in the mitten for you. So, for the uninitiated, here’s a brief primer on some of the best festivals in the region.

Choosing a Festival in Michigan

The thriving music scene in Michigan is second to none – a blessing to experience in person. Except, Michigan might just have too many music festivals for its own good. Not the worst problem to have, but deciding on where to spend a weekend can be arduous. Music is a draw. It’s on the floor. It’s awesome. To help narrow down the process of finding what festival is best for you, we have put together a list of the 10 best music festivals in Michigan.

Price: $309 for a weekend GA pass, $549 for a Maplewoods weekend pass, $699 for a Good Life weekend pass, $1,299 for an Effortless Camping weekend pass (includes a take-home tent, air mattresses, and sleeping bags), $1,999-3,399 for a two or four-person Good Life VIP Sherwood Bungalow Tent package, $3,745 for a weekend two-person Good Life Back 40 VIP Enchanted Camping pass

VIP Experience: Yes, for with a Backlots 40 pass, you receive VIP viewing areas, parking for your car adjacent to your campsite, access to both the Back 40 Old Western Town water park and the Frontier Water Park Facilities, exclusive air-conditioned bathrooms and showers in The Back 40, exclusive artist sets in The Back 40, curated brunch each morning (Friday – Sunday), plus access to all Good Life amenities.

Where to stay? For Electric Forest, there is no better way to experience the festival than through camping. To accommodate those who do not enjoy camping, Electric Forest has multiple tiers of different amenities, from GA camping to air-conditioned cabins with concierges.

VIP Experience: yes, for $650, you receive a reserved shaded seat in front of the main stage, shaded lounge with a cash bar and exclusive culinary offerings, a complimentary massage service, dedicated VIP Concierges, VIP entrance to all festival venue attractions, from rides to venue entrance, and a secret gift

Where to stay? Camping on site is strongly recommended for Faster Horses. Faster Horses is located in Brooklyn, MI, a city with limited hotel options. There are Holiday Inns and Super 8s, but that is as good as it gets.

Where to stay?Given its location in Wellston, MI, the hotel choices are quite limited. A few motels and inns are located near the festival, but camping on site will be the best experience. Campgrounds are spacious, clean, and communal. Expect to make friends with your neighbors.

Where to stay? The VIP tickets offer access to the official movement hotels, which are the Westin Book Cadillac and the Foundation Hotel. Outside of those options, the Shinola Hotel, as well as local Airbnbs, are great alternatives.

Movement has been a favorite of ours for some time, as we have attended and played close attention to them since DEMF was still a thing, including announcing their lineup since 2016.

Where do stay? Common Ground is located in Lansing, which presents some good hotel options for festival attendees. The Radisson Hotel Lansing and Hyatt Place Lansing are both quality, affordable festivals that are close to the festival grounds.

Where to stay? Since this festival occurs in the same location as Movement, my recommendations for where to stay are the same as well. The Shinola Hotel, as well as local Airbnbs in Greektown and Corktown, are great alternatives.

Where to stay? Wheatland Festival is located in Remus, which does not offer a lot of variety for hotels. However, this festival is best enjoyed with camping. The heavy focus on Leave-No-Trace and sustainable fun make camping environmentally responsible and fun.

A Festival For Every Genre

While every state has its highlights, Michigan’s music scene is a sight to be seen. From the beauty of Electric Forest to the chaotic excitement of Movement, there’s something for everyone here.

So, if you’ve always wanted to check out this region — or if you’ve spent time here before and you want to enjoy some less expensive festivals — there’s no better way to do it than by coming to any of these 10. I promise you’ll not regret it.